Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that if a third world war happens, it would be destructive and involve nuclear weapons, Russian state-backed RIA news agency reported, according to Reuters.
When asked for a response to Lavrov’s “nuclear and destructive” comments later Wednesday, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre doubled down against Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, “This is a war of choice by President Putin. This is his decision that he has made.”
During a virtual press conference on Thursday from Moscow, Lavrov said the United States is behaving like “Napoleon and Hitler” and accused the U.S. and President Joe Biden of attempting to “subjugate Europe.”
“The West, by all means possible, is trying to avoid reaction to our completely clear, transparent, based on current agreements, proposals with regard to the architecture of security in Europe….Of course, every country is free to choose the union, but no country can strengthen their security at the cost of other countries’ security. And no organization can say they can dominate in the Northern Atlantic space. This is what NATO is actively doing, trying to bolster the security of the west at the expense of Russia’s security,” Lavrov said, according to a translation by The Daily Mail.
“[The United States is] trying to force upon us their own understanding how Europe should live henceforth. To be honest, I want to make some comparisons. Back in the days, Napoleon and Hitler had a goal to subjugate Europe. Now Americans did so,” he added.
Lavrov later deflected nuclear war talk to the U.S., accusing Biden of saying that the only alternative to sanctions is World War III and that “it only can be nuclear war.” Lavrov’s comments apparently came in response to remarks Biden made in a podcast episode with Brian Tyler Cohen released Saturday.
“Look, you have two options: Start a third World War, go to war with Russia physically. Or two, make sure that a country that acts so contrary to international law that ends up paying a price for having done it,” Biden said.
“Mind Mr. Biden’s statements when responding to a question whether there has been any alternative to the sanctions…he said that the only alternative is the third World War, and it only can be nuclear war,” Lavrov claimed. “But please mind, that it is in the minds of the western politicians that they keep returning to the nuclear war. It’s not in our minds. So we will not allow any provocations to move us out of the equilibrium, shake us out of the equilibrium. But you know, if a real war is waged, or unleashed against us, I think those who have those designs and plans ought to think what follows. “
“As it is in Hollywood: there is an absolute evil and an absolute good. And an absolute good, of course, is impersonated by a character who is writing the script of this movie. Very sad. I am confident that this hysteria will be over,” he added. “Our western partners will come to their senses and will come to the dialogue on one condition of respect and taking into account each other’s interests.”
On Monday, Biden told reporters at the White House that the American people didn’t need to worry about nuclear war.
